Midnight Thunder(INCR)

by Vicki Lewis Thompson

  “Maybe for him it does,” Lexi said.

  Damon sighed. “It probably does, and I get that. He never should have married Alison, and I don’t blame him for not wanting to hook up with someone, knowing it could be the same story, with him working all the time and her complaining about it. But you can put it more diplomatically, like, ‘I fantasize about a day when I can spend time with a terrific woman like you. I’ll probably regret this decision for the rest of my life.’ Something like that.”

  Cade grinned. “I’m guessing you’ve delivered that line a time or two.”

  “Sure.” Damon shrugged. “I’m in no position to settle down, either. If Lexi’s two-cat plan works out, then I’ll have friendly faces to greet me when I walk in the door. That’s all I need.”

  “Here comes Finn,” Cade said. “He looks kind of wrecked.”

  Lexi mentally crossed her fingers and prayed her instincts were right about a woman she’d never met.

  Finn sank down onto a chair and took a deep breath. He did look wrecked. After taking off the old straw cowboy hat he’d continued to wear all day, he ran his fingers through his coal-black hair. Then he repositioned the hat. “She’s going to talk to us on Skype tonight at four her time, which will be five ours. And she’s not charging us for the initial consultation.”

  “Yee-haw!” Damon clapped him on the back. “Congratulations, O’Roarke. I’d buy you a drink, but they don’t serve beer in this establishment.”

  Finn gave him a tired smile. “Speaking of that, we’re stopping to pick up beer on the way home and I’m choosing it.”

  “And you’re not paying,” Cade said. “Harrison and I are treating you to whatever fancy-ass beer you want, bro.” Then he looked over at Herb. “We’ll need to borrow your computer, and I hope to hell you have Skype on it.”

  “We do. Rosie’s started using it a little bit.” Herb paused to glance at everyone. “I think it’s time to tell her what’s up.”

  “So do I,” Lexi said. “Since Chelsea’s agreed to help, then Rosie should know what’s going on.”

  Cade nodded. “Let’s go tell her. If she has some big objection to the idea, then Finn can cancel the Skype call with Chelsea.”

  “I’d better not have to cancel.” Finn gave them all a dark look. “That wasn’t an easy conversation to have, FYI. She made it clear she was only helping because she’s heard me rave about my life at Thunder Mountain and she admires Rosie and Herb.”

  Herb smiled. “That’s nice to hear.”

  “She also claimed to be in shock that I was calling her from Wyoming. She asked if I wanted her to drive past O’Roarke’s to see if it was still standing without me being there.”

  Cade gave him a look of sympathy. “Any name-calling?”

  “Not this time. Oh, wait. When she answered, she said, ‘If it isn’t the anal control freak.’ So I guess that counts.”

  “Here’s an idea,” Damon said. “When we Skype with her tonight, you just stay in the background.”

  Cade shook his head. “That’s the wrong approach. We don’t want him to come off as a coward who’s afraid to face her.”

  “I agree with Cade.” Lexi was eager to meet this woman, even if she’d only be an image on a computer screen.

  “Wish I could be there,” Herb said, “but I don’t feel right leaving Rosie.” His phone chimed. “And there she is.” He answered the phone. “You bet. We’re on our way.” He disconnected and stood. “The doc’s there. She has the rest of the test results.”

  Thirty minutes later, Rosie’s doctor had left the room and Rosie glanced over at the case of Baileys in the corner. “Now that it’s official that I don’t have heart disease, seems like we ought to bust out some of that booze and have a party.”

  “No, that’s for you,” Cade said. “And you can’t have any yet.”

  “We’ll party after you get home.” Herb had pulled up a chair so he could hold her hand. “Maybe not tomorrow, but soon.”

  “Good.” Rosie glanced around the room. “We definitely need a celebration before my boys take off.”

  “We’ll have one,” Herb said. “But right now, we have a proposition for you to consider.”

  Lexi watched Rosie’s expression as Herb described the crowdfunding idea. She seemed to be holding back any possible excitement, as if she might be afraid to hope that the ranch could be saved.

  When Herb finished, she didn’t say anything.

  Lexi swallowed. Surely Rosie wouldn’t forbid them to do this, but if she did, then they’d have to abandon the project and the ranch would be sold.

  At last Rosie spoke. “Let me make sure I understand. First we have to have some worthwhile project that will get people to donate but will also produce income, like Finn’s microbrewery.”

  Finn nodded. “Yep.”

  “Once we have this worthwhile project, which at this stage is a complete unknown, we then set an amount for the campaign that will pay off the loan and give us the funds to launch the project. Then we have to reach that amount by the deadline of September 1, or the whole thing falls apart and we give all the money back.”

  “It won’t fall apart,” Lexi said. “It’s going to work. Chelsea was the brains behind Finn’s operation, and—”

  “Hey.” Finn chuckled. “Not all the brains.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Just most of the brains,” Finn said. “She knows the ins and outs of crowdfunding. If anybody can help us find the right project, she can. I should mention that there’s a flexible funding option where you can keep the money if you don’t meet the goal, but I know Chelsea doesn’t recommend that because it looks like you don’t have confidence in your project.”

  Rosie fell silent again, and Lexi held her breath. She glanced at Cade and he met her gaze, his expression tense.

  “Well, if we don’t do something,” Rosie said, “we’ll lose the ranch.”

  Herb took a shaky breath. “Yes, we will.”

  “I’ve already told myself that I can handle that, so if this doesn’t pan out, we’re no worse off.” She gave everyone a brave smile. “So let’s go for it.”

  Amid the cheers and the hugs that followed, Lexi kept thinking of Rosie’s brave smile. What if they got her hopes up only to fail? What if the letdown affected her and she had an actual heart attack next time?

  But she kept her thoughts to herself until she was driving back to the ranch with Cade in the passenger seat. Then she poured out all her misgivings about what they were attempting to do.

  He listened to her without speaking. When she was finished, he sighed. “I get all that, and we’re taking a risk. But we’re taking a risk if we do nothing. The thought of losing the ranch literally broke her heart. What happens on the day that she has to drive away from it forever?”

  “That would be awful. She’s bonded to that place, I think even more than Herb is. She once told me she hoped to stay on that ranch until she turns toes up.”

  “Then I think that’s your answer. We have to fight to keep her there. I always wondered if there would be any way I could repay Rosie and Herb for what they’ve done for me. This is it, Lexi. This is what I can do.”

  She nodded. “I know you’re right, but I’ve never taken on such a huge responsibility before. We’re meddling in their lives, trying to change the course of history.”

  “And what if we succeed? Wouldn’t that be the greatest thing ever, to know we stepped in and found a way for Rosie to stay on the ranch until she turns toes up?”

  “Yeah, it would.”

  Cade pulled out his phone and checked the time. “We’ll have just enough time to bring the horses in and feed them before our Skype date with Chelsea.”

  “Right.” Damon and Finn were making a beer run on the way home, so Lexi and Cade were on horse patrol. “Don
’t forget about Ringo.”

  “I won’t, but let’s leave him in the cabin until after the Skype call so he doesn’t turn into a distraction. We’ll bring him up to the house while we’re having dinner.”

  “Damon and Finn will love that.”

  “Damon and Finn need to get a life.”

  “I know, right?” Lexi turned down the road that led to the ranch. “I understand that they both want to be financially successful, but they’re sacrificing so much.”

  “They are, but I shouldn’t make flip comments like I just did. Of course they need to get a life. We all do. In spite of what Rosie and Herb did for us, we’re still damaged. The truth is, Damon and Finn don’t know how to get a life. As for me, I’m...working on it.”

  That little speech stopped her in her tracks. She had no business comparing the guys who’d ended up at Thunder Mountain Ranch with kids who’d had moms and dads, silly arguments with siblings, bedrooms decorated with sports memorabilia and holidays with their extended family. In other words, a normal life.

  She glanced at him. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re doing a great job.”

  “Thanks.” He smiled and reached over to stroke her cheek. “You’re right about the driving thing. I’ve never ridden with you, and for the first ten or fifteen minutes, it was weird as hell.”

  “I knew that.”

  “But I got used to it, and now I kinda like it. You’re sexy when you drive.”

  “I am?”

  “Absolutely. Every time you turn the wheel your breasts move ever so gently under your T-shirt. It’s fun to watch.”

  “I’m glad that I kept you entertained.”

  “Oh, I was highly entertained. When your fingers curl around the gearshift, I just naturally think about how it feels when you hold on to my—”

  “Don’t say it.” Heat sizzled in her veins. Then she groaned. “Too late. The symbolism of the gearshift is now permanently burned into my brain. Thanks a lot.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “It could be in heavy traffic!”

  He laughed. “I’m not worried. You’re a great driver. You won’t let a little sexual imagery interfere with that. I also like to watch the way your thighs flex when you’re braking or stepping on the gas.”

  “Stop it right now, Gallagher. You’re trying to get me hot, and we have horses to round up and feed.” As she parked next to the barn, she looked at the clock on the dash. “And the Skype call with Chelsea is in forty minutes.”

  He opened his door. “Then we’d better get moving.”

  Coming from anyone else, that would have been an innocent comment. But it would be hours before they were alone again, and his emotions were running hot. She suspected he had plans that didn’t involve feeding horses.

  When they’d dated, they’d mostly made out in his truck. But Cade’s chores on the ranch usually involved working with the horses, so when she’d gone out to see him, she’d helped with that job.

  That meant they’d had a few stolen moments in the barn. More than a few, come to think of it. No doubt he remembered one particularly vivid incident in the tack room when they’d been stranded in the barn during an abrupt and violent thunderstorm.

  The sky was clear today, but until Damon and Finn arrived, they were completely alone on the ranch. Forty minutes. It wasn’t a lot of time, but it was enough time, especially if you were Cade Gallagher.

  14

  CADE CONGRATULATED HIMSELF on his quick thinking in suggesting that Damon and Finn take his truck to the hospital. Riding with Lexi today had worked out to be all kinds of wonderful. For one thing, he’d tackled a prejudice he hadn’t known he had and it was rapidly disappearing.

  Also, the ride to the hospital and back had given him a chance to talk with Lexi. He’d stored up a powerful hunger in the past five years and whenever they were alone, he mostly thought of making love to her. But he couldn’t very well do that while she was driving.

  Controlling his libido long enough to have a conversation had reminded him that they used to talk all the time. It was one of the things he’d missed most. He hadn’t recognized how important their discussions had been to him until he couldn’t have them anymore.

  But he wasn’t interested in having a conversation right now. Thanks to his decision to loan out his truck, he wasn’t shopping for beer. Instead he was headed into a very empty, very private barn with the sexiest woman in the world.

  She walked ahead of him into the tack room and reached for a lead rope.

  “Hang on a minute, sunshine.” He hung his hat on a nearby saddle horn.

  She turned and met his gaze. “Look, I know what you’re thinking.”

  “Good. That saves time.” He nudged the door shut with the heel of his boot and reached for her.

  She stepped back. “Damon and Finn could shop really fast and get here any second.”

  “So what? They’re not going to come looking for us, especially if the tack room door is closed.” He eliminated the space between them and drew her into his arms.

  “I still don’t think this is a good idea.”

  “If you say so.” He cupped her bottom and pulled her tight against his straining erection. “Your body says something different, though.” He flexed his fingers in a gentle massage that always turned her on. “Your eyes say something different, too.” He watched the heat build in those hazel depths. “But if you really don’t want to...”

  Surrender came quickly. “Oh, yeah, I want to.” She pulled him down for a kiss that left no doubt that she really wanted to.

  With encouragement like that, he instantly went to work on her jeans, but he made sure not to interrupt that red-hot kiss until he absolutely had to. Finally he had to. Hoisting her up so she was sitting sideways on the same saddle where he’d left his hat, he crouched down and yanked off her boots, her jeans and her panties. He’d love to remove her shirt and bra, but the more clothes they took off, the more they’d have to put back on. And the clock was ticking.

  He lifted her back down. “Lexi, I want—”

  “I want what you want.”

  He swallowed. Her sultry comment delivered with a knowing smile made him tremble with anticipation. She remembered. He fumbled while unzipping his fly and almost dropped the condom packet.

  “Let me.” She took the condom and rolled it on. “There.” Turning toward the wall, she leaned over, flattened her hands against the wood and braced her legs apart. Then she peeked at him over her shoulder. “Is this what you had in mind, cowboy?”

  He sucked in a breath. He’d dreamed of seeing her like this again. And here she was, her delectable little bottom thrust in the air in the most erotic invitation he’d ever known.

  “Ah, Lexi.” His voice was rough, his breathing rougher as he steadied her with both hands. Sliding his cock partway in, he closed his eyes and clenched his jaw against coming. The sensation was incredible, but watching it happen added another level of arousal that threatened to destroy what little control he had.

  She gave a soft command. “More.”

  “Yeah.” But he took it easy, filling her slowly, inch by inch. When he was locked in tight, he paused to catch his breath and regain at least part of his sanity. This was good. A little too good. He settled into a gentle rhythm while he fought against coming. He wanted to give her time.

  Apparently she didn’t need as much of that as he’d thought. Her breathless whimper was his only warning before a powerful contraction rolled over his rigid cock. With a loud groan, he abandoned himself to the demands of his body, plunging into her again and again as her orgasm brought on his.

  Panting and dizzy from the impact of that orgasm, he still managed to keep them both upright as the tremors subsided.

  Her laughter was shaky. “Wow.”

 
“Yep. Wow. Think you can stand up by yourself?”

  “I think I can fly.”

  “Me, too.” He left her warmth with regret, but he took comfort in knowing they’d be back in each other’s arms later tonight. If he had his way, they’d be together every night.

  They’d had lots of practice making themselves presentable after a round of hot sex, so before long they were headed out to the pasture. They’d finished feeding all five horses and were walking up to the house when Damon and Finn drove in.

  “We brought beer, fried chicken, coleslaw and chocolate chip cookies,” Finn said as he climbed out of the truck with a bag in each hand. “How’s that for awesome?”

  “That’s terrific. Thanks.” Cade had a whole other criteria for awesome, but food would be welcome. “I didn’t even think about what we’d do for dinner. Let me know what I owe you.”

  “Nah, we used your gas, so we’re even.” Damon tossed him the keys. “Thanks for the loan of the truck.”

  “Glad it worked out.” Cade figured Damon knew the motivation behind his offer of the truck and approved of the strategy. Damon was the one who’d advised him to marry Lexi.

  He would do that, too. Or at least he hoped he would. That speech of hers on the first day lingered in his mind. It hadn’t sounded like the speech of a woman who was eager for a walk down the aisle.

  She might love the sex, but that didn’t mean she wanted to make a lifetime commitment. Ironically, she might be thinking the same way he had been five years ago. That would be a real kick in the head if they’d mentally traded places.

  “You didn’t use my gas, though,” Lexi said. “I want to contribute to the cost of the food and the beer.”

  “Sure.” Damon started toward the house. “We’ll do the math later. Right now we need to get on Skype. It’s nearly time.”

  Cade pulled out his phone and discovered they had all of five minutes before they were supposed to rendezvous with Chelsea. Considering how he saw his life going, Chelsea’s input was important for Rosie, the ranch and his hope that Lexi would be willing to marry him after everything settled down. He could hardly wait for this Skype thing.